It will be a battle between MAAC opponents when the Iona Gaels (7-13, 5-4 MAAC) welcome the Siena Saints (9-12, 4-4 MAAC) to the Hynes Athletics Center. The game will air on ESPN 3 at 1 p.m. ET on Saturday, February 2, 2019.
Siena Saints at Iona Gaels Free Prediction
In the Saints’ last outing, they were beaten by the Monmouth Hawks, 66-55. One of Monmouth’s largest strengths was getting to the charity stripe. They had 32 free throw attempts, while Siena had just eight. Siena’s Jalen Pickett had a solid game, putting up 11 points and five assists.
The Gaels were beaten by the Marist Red Foxes in their last matchup, 78-74. Marist’s 0.293 free throw rate was their largest strength over Iona, who had a mark of 0.254. The Red Foxes’ mark was above their season average of 0.230, while the Gaels’ was below their season average of 0.291. With 22 points on 9-for-13 shooting, E.J. Crawford was the game’s high scorer.
After splitting two games last season, this will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams. In the most recent matchup, the Saints won 82-78. The Saints had a better free throw rate (0.203 vs. 0.171) and had a better effective field goal percentage (0.539 vs. 0.471).
Conflicting tempos will be on display in this battle. Iona prefers an up-tempo style of play (35th in possessions per game), while Siena is more half-court-oriented (350th in possessions per game).
Siena Saints at Iona Gaels Pick
Pick: SU Winner – Iona, ATS Winner – Siena, O/U – Under
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Notes
Betting Notes:
Siena ranks 12th in three pointers allowed per game (17.9) while Iona ranks 234th (25.9).
The Saints rank 42nd in rebounds allowed per game (31.9) while the Gaels rank 241st (37.8).
Siena ranks 49th in assists allowed per game (11.4) while Iona ranks 241st (16.8).
The Saints rank eighth in blocks allowed per game (2.1) while the Gaels rank 112th (3.5).
Siena ranks 27th in steals allowed per game (5.2) while Iona ranks 66th (5.8).
Bettings Trends:
The Saints have outscored opponents by an average of 3.4 points in their last five games. For the season, Siena has been defeated by an average of 3.1 points.
During their last five games, the Gaels have scored an average of 78.0 points per game (1.8 below their season average) and allowed an average of 77.8 points per game (4.6 below their season average).
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